Source: TV Choice
Date: February 12, 2013
The slick US con drama returns with Neal and Peter at loggerheads, thanks to Peter’s (correct!) suspicion Neal has secretly squirrelled away a stash of Nazi treasure and is looking for his opportunity to skip town. Matt Bomer, who plays Neal, tells TV Choice more…
White Collar is not the kind of show you can multi-task in front of. You have to give it your full attention!
The writers are very smart and very respectful of the audience. That’s one of the things I love about working on the show — when I pick up the scripts I’ll have to read it two or three times to keep my wits about me.
A lot of people make the assumption that telly is dumbing down. But isn’t it smarter than it’s ever been?
I think so. I’m really happy with the state of television, specifically on cable [White Collar airs on the USA Network in America], because there’s a bit less bureaucracy and they don’t worry about every demographic. We have a bit more freedom to tell the story we want to tell.
Would it be fair to say this series is the biggest test on Neal and Peter’s relationship?
Yes,it is. Absolutely. The trust is completely thrown out of balance. The writers were very smart to make it almost unfair for Peter to be so untrusting of Neal because he’s not really to blame — and yet he kind of is. So, it’s a very complicated scenario they’ve put together. But this is the biggest test of their trust so far.
What sense are you getting from viewers about who they’re rooting for?
You know, I think regardless of who they’re rooting for, the good news is to hear they’re invested in the relationship, and that’s what we care about — whether or not they care about these two people and what they’re going through. I love hearing from people on the streets. They’ll give us ideas about storylines. Things we should do on the show, and what they’re liking and what they’re not liking. There are people who really respond to Neal’s sort of Danny Ocean-style confidence and swagger, and they can see he’s a diehard romantic and he has a softer side.
When you were cast for White Collar, do you know why they went with you?
Well, it really came down to our creator, Jeff Eastin, who saw something in me that he responded to. I mean, I had to screen test for it twice, because they initially wanted someone older. I really had to prove myself to them.
Has White Collar been a pivotal role for you?
Absolutely. Yeah. It changed so much for me and my career and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I’m just lucky that I get to play a role that the writers are continually evolving. It’s definitely changed everything for me.